Egypt's Foreign Ministry on Thursday hit back at a statement by the European Parliament which criticised the country's human rights record, saying it does not serve bilateral relations with Cairo.

The ministry said in a statement that the EP’s call for Egypt to immediately release all political detainees was based on "allegations, inaccuracies and misinformation" that reflect a lack of awareness of the situation in Egypt.

Earlier on Thursday, the EP had issued a statement calling for the release of all political detainees in Egypt including members of the Muslim Brotherhood, AFP Arabic service reported.

Egyptian authorities have always denied that there are any political prisoners in Egypt, maintaining that all detainees have been charged with crimes. Many senior Brotherhood figures face charges related to inciting violence or membership in a terrorist organisation.

The European Parliament expressed concerns about a crackdown on freedom of expression and organisation and called for putting an end to violence against dissidents including protesters, journalists, students, women’s right activists, civil society and minorities.

It demanded the release of 167 detained lawmakers who were elected to Egypt’s parliament in 2011, most of whom are believed to be Islamists.

The ministry said that the statement "breaches the simplest democratic principles of the separation of authorities" and called on the EP to ensure accuracy and verify its information.

The parliament of the European Union's 27 countries also said it would not send an observation mission to monitor Egypt's upcoming parliamentary poll--scheduled to begin in March.

It says it fears a monitoring of the election in Egypt, where last year’s presidential election fell short of international standards, would undermine its own credibility.